Braden Thornberry Bio
William Braden Thornberry (born April 11, 1997) is an American professional golfer noted for his amateur success. He won the 2017 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship individual title and was a member of the victorious U.S. teams at the 2017 Walker Cup and the 2018 Arnold Palmer Cup. He was the number one ranked amateur golfer in the world during 2018 and received the Haskins Award and the Mark H. McCormack Medal.
Standing 6 feet tall and originally from Germantown, Tennessee, Thornberry now lives in Olive Branch, Mississippi. He has competed professionally since December 2018, first on the Korn Ferry Tour before earning his PGA Tour card in 2024.
Early Life and Background
William Braden Thornberry was born on April 11, 1997, in Germantown, Tennessee. He grew up in the Memphis area and took up golf at a young age, eventually becoming one of the most decorated junior players in the region. In August 2012, he shot a round of 61 at TPC Southwind during a local junior event, a score that highlighted his early command of the course.
Thornberry’s junior career included a run of important victories. He won the 2011 Future Masters, the 2012 Mississippi Junior, and the 2013 Bubba Conlee National Junior, establishing a reputation as a polished competitive player before finishing high school.
Path to Professional Golf
Thornberry enrolled at the University of Mississippi in 2015, where he played for the Ole Miss Rebels men’s golf team. He won two titles as a freshman and was named First-Team All-American, quickly showing that he could compete at the highest level of college golf.
As a sophomore, he collected five individual wins and led the nation in stroke average at 69.57. He then captured the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship individual title with a four-round total of 11 under, earning the Haskins Award as the most outstanding men’s collegiate golfer. He was also named to the 2017 All-Nicklaus Team.
Braden Thornberry Career
Amateur Breakthrough (2017-2018)
Thornberry made his PGA Tour debut at the 2017 FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, where he tied for fourth. That finish marked the highest amateur placement at the event since 1965 and the best amateur finish on the PGA Tour that year. At the U.S. Amateur, he defeated world number one Joaquín Niemann and replaced Niemann as the top-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He also won the Sunnehanna Amateur in a playoff over Collin Morikawa with a four-round total of 13 under.
He represented the United States at the 2017 Walker Cup at Los Angeles Country Club, where he was grouped with future PGA Tour standouts Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler, and Will Zalatoris. Thornberry secured two singles victories to help the U.S. team claim a 19-7 win over Great Britain and Ireland. As a junior at Ole Miss, he added four more wins to set a school record of 11 career victories and was a finalist for both the Ben Hogan Award and the Haskins Award.
Major Championship and Final Amateur Appearances (2018)
In 2018, Thornberry qualified for the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, where he missed the cut by a single stroke, and tied for 26th at the 2018 FedEx St. Jude Classic. He represented the United States in the 2018 Arnold Palmer Cup at Evian Resort Golf Club, helping the Americans to victory, and shot a 64 at the U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
That August, Thornberry earned the Mark H. McCormack Medal, awarded to the world’s highest-ranked amateur after the U.S. Amateur. In December 2018, he turned professional and decided to forgo the second half of his senior season at Ole Miss, which also meant forfeiting exemptions to the 2019 U.S. Open and 2019 Open Championship.
Korn Ferry Tour Years (2019-2024)
Thornberry joined the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour, where his best finish was a tie for fifth at the Lincoln Land Championship. During the 2020-21 season, he recorded a tie for eighth at the 2020 Wichita Open and a tie for fifth at the 2021 MGM Resorts Championship. In 2022, he finished in a tie for 13th at the Live and Work in Maine Open and shared the halfway lead for the first time at the Lake Charles Championship before closing with a tie for 35th.
He earned his first professional victory at the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Championship, which secured his PGA Tour card for the following season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Thornberry built his amateur game on accuracy and steady ball-striking, and his college-leading stroke average reflected that consistency. On the Korn Ferry Tour, he showed the ability to post low opening rounds and to contend on leaderboards when his iron play held up.
Notable Events and Milestones
Highlights of Thornberry’s career include his 2017 NCAA individual title, his Walker Cup singles contributions, his TPC Southwind round of 61 as a junior, and his winning playoff against Collin Morikawa at the Sunnehanna Amateur. His 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Championship victory served as the bridge from the development tours to the PGA Tour.
Braden Thornberry Career Wins
Thornberry’s verified professional victory is his 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Championship title, which earned him PGA Tour membership. His amateur career featured major individual titles, including the 2017 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship and the 2017 Sunnehanna Amateur.
Korn Ferry Tour Highlights
Thornberry recorded a tie for fifth at the 2019 Lincoln Land Championship, ties for fifth at the 2021 MGM Resorts Championship and the 2022 Lake Charles mid-point, and a tie for 13th at the 2022 Live and Work in Maine Open. His first Korn Ferry Tour win came at the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Championship.
Other Wins and Performances
As an amateur, Thornberry won the 2011 Future Masters, the 2012 Mississippi Junior, the 2013 Bubba Conlee National Junior, and two and five individual titles in his freshman and sophomore seasons at Ole Miss. He also contributed to U.S. team wins at the 2017 Walker Cup and the 2018 Arnold Palmer Cup.
Braden Thornberry Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Details about William Braden Thornberry’s parents and broader family have not been publicly verified in available sources. His development as a golfer came through junior events in Tennessee and Mississippi rather than a documented family sports lineage.
Personal Life
Thornberry resides in Olive Branch, Mississippi, where he has been based during his professional career. Public information about a spouse or children is not available.
2025 Season Performance
Following his 2024 Korn Ferry Tour Championship victory, Braden Thornberry earned his PGA Tour card and is expected to compete on the PGA Tour during the 2025 season. His path will be measured against the higher level of competition he first sampled as an amateur at the FedEx St. Jude Classic.
His Korn Ferry Tour record of consistent mid-table finishes and one breakthrough win suggests a player who can hold his card with steady play, even if he has not yet posted a PGA Tour top finish. The 2025 campaign will test whether his iron play and course management travel to the game’s biggest stages.
Outlook for the season centers on keeping his card through consistent made cuts, with upside tied to a strong week at familiar tracks like TPC Southwind and other venues he has played since his amateur days.